Machine for use in making boxes



C. J. WESTIN MACHINE FOR USE IN MAKING BOXES April 10, 1928.

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Patented Apr. 10, 1928.

, UNITED s'm'rss 1,666,035 I PATENT OFFICE.

.. CHARLES J. WESTIN, OF ROGKAWAY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO 'WIREBOUNDSPATENTS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE- MACHINE FOR USE IN MAKINGBOXES.

App1ica.tion filed June 22,

This invention relates to machines for use in making boxes, crates orthe like, and particularly to machines for stapling together box orcrate parts and for applying binding 6 wire thereto.

Among other objects, the invention is in-- tended to provide certainimprovements contributing to the efficiency and practicability ofoperation of such machines.

In thedrawings: 1

, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a wirebound box blank machine embod ingthe invention.

. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the stapling end of the machine viewedfrom the line AA in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the staple-forming anddrivingunits.

- Fi 4 is a sectional plan view taken on the line B--B of Fig. 3. y

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line C -Cof Fig. 4. 4

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are similar" views showing the parts in differentpositions taken by them during a staple-forming and driving operation.

9 is a front elevation of a sin leforming and driving unit seen from theine D-D in Fig. 6. I 'Fig. 10is a front elevation of a portion 0f thestaple-forming and driving mechanism'seen from the line E-E in Fig. 4.

v Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line FF of Fig. 10.

Fig.12 is an enlarged side elevation of the 3s sta le-wire-feedingmechanism. v

i 13 is a sectional plan view taken on the line GG of Fig. 12.

The machine selected for illustration consists generally ofwork-forwarding means .for re atively positioning box or crate parts andfeeding them to staple-forming. and driving mechanism which formsstaples from staple .stock wire automatically fed thereto, and drivesthe staples over bindin wire into the box or crate parts. Y

The work-forwarding means consists of endless conveyers 1 rovided withwork-positioning orspacer locks (not shown) ad- -gjustabl yv secured tothe conveyers 1. The

so conveyjers 1, which travel in channel guides 2, are trained oversprocket wheels 3 fast on a shaft 4 atthe delivery end of the machineand over sprocket wheels 5 on a shaft 6 at the receiving end of themachine. The conveyer chains 1 are advanced intermit-.

1925. serial' No. 38,790.

tently by a pawl 7 and a ratchet wheel 8 operated by an eccentric 9 on ashaft 10, as best shown in Fig. 1.

The stapling mechanism is carried by cross-bars 11 and 12. Cross-bar. 11is rigidly secured to the side-frames of the machine, while cross-bar 12is mounted in guideways 13- formed in the side-frames of the machine,and is given an up and down movement by (eccentrics 14 on shaft 10through pitmen 15. The arrangement is such that the staple-driving isdone between feed steps of the work and while the work is stationary. y

'Any desired number of staple-forming and drivin units may be secured tocross bars 11 an 12 depending upon the number of binding wires to bestapled to the box parts. These units are substantially identical and adescription of one will suflice.

The illustrative staple-forming and driving unit is best shown in Figs.3 to 13 inclusive. It is constructed and arranged to form two staples ateach cycle of operation and drive the staples indirect alignment overthe-binding wire into the box parts a certain fixed distance. apart, forexample, one and three-quarter inches apart, thus permitting the work tobe fed three and one-handinches between stapling operations. It. will beapparent that the stapling unit may be constructed and arranged to drivethe staples farther apart than one and three-quarter inches and therebypermit the work to be fed more than three and ue-half inches betweenstapling operations.

Each stapling unit'comprises a pair of staple-forming and drivingmechanisms, each adapted to cut ofl:' a length of staple stock wire,form it into a staple and drive the staple downward into the work.- The,two staple-forming and drlving mechanismsof each unit are housed in alower casing 17- vsecured to cross-bar 11, and the operating an uppercas-' arts therefor are carried by mg 16 secured to cross-bar 12.

Staple stock wires 18, from which the staples are formed, are carried byreels 19, pass over rollers 20 and are fed in pairs to each staplingunit; the wire-feeding mechanism being arranged to feed intermittently asuflicient length of each wire to form astaple.

The two strands of staple'stockwire 1.8 for. each stapling unit are fedby a single:

feed roller 21 which cooperates" with two tension rollers 22 and 23, theouter surfaces of said rollers being knurled to grip the wires betweenthem. One strand of wire is gripped between feed roller 21 and tensionroller 22 while the other strand of wire is gri ped between feed roller21 and tension rol er 23. Feed roller 21 is keyed to a shaft '24journaled in the side-frame of the machine and is rotated intermi tentlyby a ratchet and pawl mechanism 25 through pit man 26 and an eccentric27 on shaft 10.

Tension roller 22 is loosely mounted on an eccentric 28 fast'on a shaft29 journaled in a bushing 30 carried by the lower casing 17.

Eccentric 28, through the action of a spring 31, tends to press tensionroller 22 toward feed roller 21; said spring 31 being secured at one endto a bracket 32 on the casing 17 and at the other end to an arm 33bolted to a collar 34 which is fast on shaft 29. Tension roller 23 isloosely mounted on an .eccentric 35 rotatably mounted on bushing 30, andis pressed toward feed roller 21 by the eccentric 35 through the actionof a spring 36 secured at one end to the bracket 32 and at the other endto an arm 37 bolted to eccentric 35.

While tension rollers 22 and 23 are independently mounted on se arateeccentrics and are therefore free to ta e difierent positions relativeto feed roller 21, they are caused to rotate in unison by a key 38carried by tension roller 22 which key fits in a keyway 39 formed intension roller 23.

To prevent slip age between feed roller 21 and tension rol ers 22 and23, a gear 40 is secured to feed roller 21, which gear meshes with agear 41 secured to tension roller 22.

Among other advantages, the arrangement of the tension rollers onindependent eccentrics insures the proper feed of both strands of staplestock wire regardless'of va-' riations'in the thickness of said wires,as the position of each tension roller relative to the feed roller 21 isinde endently controlled so that each strand of wire -is firmly grippedat all times between its tension roller and feed roller 21.

Such arrangement also permits two wires of the same or differentthicknesses to be fed by one'feed roller, thus reducing the size of thestapling unit and thereby making it possible to arrange the severalstapling units in closer proximity to each other.

The strands of staple stock wire 18, which are fed by feed roller 21 andtension rollers 22 and 23 pass through guide tubes 42 and over loop bars43 fast on arms 44 pivoted at" 45 to the front plate of lower casing 17.

a When the wires have been fed over the loop bars 43, staple-formers 46descend cutting the wires and bending' them over their re-' .spective400' formers 46 eing provided with a cutting bars to form the staples;

neeaoac gu1de tubes 42 to .sever the wire .therebetween. Afterthestaple-formers 46 have formed staples over 100 bars 43, the loop barsare forced out of line and staple-drivers 47, carried by driver plates49, descend driving the staples from the formers 46 into the work.

The staple-formers 46 are slidably mounted in the lower casing 17 andare forced downward by latches 48 pivoted to driver plate holders 59which are suspended from upper casing 16.' When formers 46 havecompleted the formation of the staples, latches 48 are forced out ofcontact with the formers 46 bycam surfaces 50 formed on the front plateof lower casing 17. When latches 48 are forced out of contact withformers 46, the formers are yieldingly pressed downward against the workby spring-pressed rods 51 which are secured to the upper ends of theformers 46 and are slidable in openings formed in the upper casing 16.

After latches 48 have been released from contact with formers 46, driverplates 49 continue their downward movement. Cam plates 52 secured todriver plates 49 engage cam surfaces 53 on loop bar arms 44 and swingthe loop bars 43 out of line. Drivers 47 secured to driver plates 49then drive the staples out of the formers 46 into the work.

Upon theupstroke of driver plates 49, cam

plates 52 swing the loop bars 43 back into i the formers 46, and thedrivers 47, which slide in keyways formed in the formers 46,

;to permit wires for the next staples to be fed into position by feedroller 21 and tension rollers 22 and 23. Latches 48 are pressed backinto their original positions above the formers '46 by springs 54.

The binding wire which is stapled to the work is carried by reels 55,passes over rollers 56 suspended from the upper framework of the machineand thence under rollers 57 carried by lower casing 17, and is pulledalong with the work by reason of its attachment thereto, the rollers 57being so arranged as to guide the binding wire beneath the formers 46 inposition to be straddled by the staples when they are driven into thework.

The conveyors 1 and their channel guides 2 act as supports or anvils forthe drive thrust of the staplingunits located directliy above theconveyers. When additional bin ing wires intermediate the two outsidebinding wires are stapled to, the work, clincher" driving mechanism isbest s own in igs. 5

III)

' descended and are about to cut oil the wires inches.

18 and bend them over the loop bars 43. In Fig.7, the formers 46 have.completed the formation of the staples and cam. plates 52 have swung theloop bars 43 out of line. In Fig. 8, the drivers have descended anddriven the staples from the formers 46 over the binding wire into thebox parts. Upon completionofthe drive stroke the upper crossbar 12 ofthe machine raises the parts'to the position shown in Fig. 5 and theratchet and pawl mechanism 25 rotates feed roller 21 and tension rollers22 and 23 the proper distance to feed in wire for the formation of thenext staples; the springs 31 and 36 acting, at all times to press t-hetension rollers 22 and 23 toward feed roller 21 to insure the feed ofthe proper length or wire through the guide tubes 42.

It will be noted that each staple-forming and-driving unit forms twostaples simultaneously and drives them simultaneously over a bindingwire into the box parts; and that said two staples are driven inalignment longitudinally of the binding wire.

It will also be noted that the two stapleforming and. driving mechanismsof each stapling unit are constructed and arranged to be housed in onecasing, thus permitting the forming and driving simultaneously of twostaples in direct alignment and in close proximity to each other, torexample, as close together as one and three-quarter This is particularlyadvantageous in the manufacture of wirebound boxes and crates in whichthe best results are obtained by driving the staples approximately oneand three-quarter inches apart. Heretofore wirebound box blank machineshave been equipped with stapling units which formed and drove a singlestaple at each cycle of operation. This restricted the feed steps of thework between stapling operations to a distance equalv to the distancebetween adjacent staples and this limited the output of the machine.Applicants tandem stapling unit doubles the output of the machine bypermitting feed steps of the work equal to twice the distance betweenadjacent staples.

It has been pro osed to increase the feed steps of the work y employingtwo stapling units located one behind the other in the direction ottravel of the work. But such an arrangement. is impracticablecommercially because it requires the use of an extra set of 1 staplingunits, and such units cannot be positioned close enough together todrive the,

tance between the stapleswhich arev driven into the work, is intended tocover the usual and normal spacing of staples now in general use in thewirebound box making art, namely a spacing of not to exceed threeinches.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to thespecific embodimentthereof shown for purposes of illustration, as it may be embodied invarious forms and may be used to advantage in Various combinations andsubcombinations as defined in the sub-joined claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a wirebound box blank machine, means for applying binding wire tobox parts compris1ng,'1n combination, stapleforming and drivingmechanism adapted to form a plurality of staples from a plurality ofstaple stock wires automatically fed thereto and to drive the same inclose spaced relationship over a b-indin wire into the work, and meansto feed a p urality of staple stock wires to said mechanism comprising asingle feed roller cooperating with a plurality of tension rollers.

2. In awirebound box blank machine,

means for applying binding wire to box arts comprising, in combination,stapleorming and driving mechanism adapted to form a plurality ofstaples from a plurality of staple stock wires automatically fed theretoand to drive the same in close spaced relationship over a binding wireinto .the

work, and means to feed a plurality of staple stock wires to saidmechanism comprising a single feed roller cooperating with a pluralityof tension rollers independently mounted and yieldingly pressed towardsaid feed roller.

3. ln a wirebound box blank machine, means for applying binding wiretobox parts comprising, in combination, staplei'orming and drivingmechanism ada ted to form a plurality of staples from a p urality ofstaple stock wires automatically fed thereto and to drive the same inplose spaced relationship over a binding wire into the work, and meansto feed a plurality of staple stock wires to said mechanism comprising asingle feed roller cooperating with a plurality of independently mountedten sion rollers. I

4. In a wirebound box blank machine,

means for applying binding wire to box parts comprising, in combination,stapleforming and driving mechanism adapted to form-a plurality ofstaples from a plurality of staple stock wires automatically fed theretoand to driye the same in close spaced relationship over a binding wireinto the work, and means to feed a plurality of staple stock wires tosaid mechanism comprising a feed roller, a plurality of tension rollersI cooperating therewith and each mounted 1 imeaose on a separateeccentric, and means yielding- 7 1y to press each eccentric toward saidfeed roller.

- staple stock wires automatically feed thereto and to drive saidstaples in close spaced relationship over a binding wire into the boxparts, and means to feed a pair of r to drive said staples in closerelationship staple stockwires to said mechanism comprising a singlefeed roller cooperating with a pair of tension rollers.

6. In a wircbound box blank machine, means for applying bindingwire tobox arts comprising, in combination, stapleforming and driving mechanismada ted to form a pair of staples from a pair 0 staple stock wiresautomatically fed thereto and over a bindin wire into the box parts, andmeans to fee a pair of staple stock wires to saidmechanism comprising asingle feed roller cooperating with a pair of tension rollers; saidtension rollers being independently mounted and each yieldingly pressedtoward said feed roller.

7. In a wirebound box blank machine, means for applying binding Wire tobox parts COHIPIlSlIlg, in combination, a plurality of staple-formingand driving instrumentalities housed in a single casing and constructedand arranged to form simultaneously a plurality of staples from aplurality of staple stoc wires automatically fed thereto and to drivethe same in alignment and in close spaced relationship over a bindingwire into the box. parts.

8. In a wlirebound box blank machine, means for applying binding wire tobox parts comprising, in combination, a pair of staple-forming anddriving instrumentalities housed in a single casing and constructed andarranged to form simultaneously a pair of staples from a pair of staplesstock wires automatically fed thereto and to drive the same in alignmentand in close spaced relationship over a binding wire into the box parts.

'9. In a wirebound 'box blank machine, means for applying binding wireto box parts -compr1s1ng, in combination, staple formin and drivingmechanism adapted to form simultaneously a lurality of staples parts,and means to feed said plurality of staple-'stockwires to saidmechanism.

10. In a wirebound box blank -machine, means for applying binding wireto box parts comprising, ,1n comblnation, staple forming and drivlngmechanism adapted to form simultaneously a pair of staples from a pairof staple-stock wires automatically fed thereto and to drivesimultaneously said pair of staples spaced substantially 1% 1nches apart'over a bindin wire into box parts, and means to feed sai pair of staplestock Wires to said mechanism.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES J. WESTIN.

from'a plurality of stap e-stock wires auto-

